Sep 30, 2010

Blog Action Day is an annual event that unites the world’s bloggers in posting about the same issue. The aim is to spark a global discussion and raise awareness. This year's topic is "Water". For more information on the choice of topic and suggested post ideas - i.e. polluted oceans or bottled water -, please visit the initiative's website.At least to me, participating sounds like a good idea!

Sep 29, 2010

Irgendeine Userin was the first woman in Germany to blog on graphic novels. Already since 2006, she has been updating fans and interested newbies on new comic publications, movie theatre adaptations, and everything else you need to know on her blog Ja! Es sind Comics!.

Follow the jump below to read her product suggestions to the comic industry, to find out why blog.de is her favorite blog host, and to meet her favourite superheroine.

Sep 25, 2010

According to Reporters Without Borders, journalist and human rights activist Shiva Nazar-Ahari was sentenced to six years in prison and 76 lashes on charges of conspiracy and anti-government propaganda. She will appeal against her conviction.

Sep 24, 2010

Today I am super happy to introduce to you one of my personal favourites, Geninne's Art Blog - edited by Geninne, who only recently moved into a beautiful new house in Mexico.Follow the jump below to find out more about her "happy art", why anyone can learn how to blog, and to have a look at a long list of other blogs by female artists Geninne warmly recommends.

Sep 16, 2010

Someone did my job and listed five reasons why to start blogging. There must be more than five, but I wanted to show you the mentioned ones anyways. And since the original post is in German, I translated the subheadings below and added my own experiences to each point... Now, if you can think of other good reasons to hit the keyboard, please add them to the comment section!

1. Blogging connects people.
This is actually true - you will make new friends! If it hadn't been for Don Dahlmann, who got to know me through my other blog, and later introduced me to Nadine Lantzsch, who earlier this year pointed out to me Anne Roth's concerns about the invisibility of women on the web, GCB wouldn't have come into existence. Naturally, they are all bloggers. If you blog in English, your readership will grow even larger: So far, GCB has been visited by people from 72 countries!

2.Blogging educates.
Absolutely! In terms of media literacy, social behaviour and generally. Each time I portray a blogger, I learn something new about their field of interest. I had no idea, for example, that something like Anna's cycling blog existed. Or Pharmama's pharmacy blog. There's so much to take in on the web - simply sign up for a service like Google Reader and start exploring the blogosphere. Or, if you prefer interaction, check out the new GCB forum on yuku.

3.Blogging makes you happy.
Over time, you'll receive recognition and appreciation. There's nothing more pleasant than receiving a message from someone who likes your work. Beautiful photos, fashion and art on display will delight you. Try Smilla Dankert's Anders Anziehen, for example. And as for me: Incoming links and comments on posts make my day! :)

4. Blogging empowers.
It will help you build an opinion and defend it in discussions. Blogs like The Huffington Post or the Mädchenmannschaft will keep you up-to-date on current issues in your field and provide you with all necessary information to participate in the dialogue. Already after six months, I now draw strength from the network around GCB.

5.Blogging strengthens your personality.
Trust me, it will help you find out more about yourself and interests you might not even know you had. The support one is able to draw from a group of like-minded individuals is invaluable. I am always impressed when people I know stand up for themselves and share their honest opinions. They are the role models I look up to.

Still not convinced? Lack an original issue? Online diaries are blogs, too! Here are 100 Benefits of Journaling that might change your mind. ;)

For a while already I have been thinking about setting up a GCB forum, but shied away from the additional workload of administrating it. However, when I translated Anna Eimerl's interview today (her blogger portrait will be up at the beginning of October), and she repeatedly expressed the wish for one, I thought: What the heck! And set one up - for now on yuku. (If you have never visited a forum before, you might be interested in the yuku FAQ or yuku's support page.)

Obviously, the GCB forum is still very much in its infancy, I've only put up one topic for discussion so far - Advertising on Blogs. Since GCB has both German and international readers, I would like the forum to be bilingual. Posts may be submitted both in English and in German. I very much hope that I created a space where you all feel comfortable enough to ask pressing questions on blogging and related topics and discuss them. As of yet, posts are visible to the general public, but you need to be registered to leave a reply. If you're unhappy about that and would like the forum closed, please indicate that to me and I will reconsider. Registration is free, so please don't be shy and participate! And if you're interested in becoming an admin, even better... ;)

Follow the jump below to find out why her interview project, that was originally meant to become a book, is better off on a blog, and why guidebooks on how to be a better mother will do you more harm than good.

According to Reporters Without Borders, Shiva Nazar Ahari was released on a $500.000 bail on Sunday, 12 September 2010. Her sentence is still pending. More Information is to follow soon. THANK YOU for your support!

Sep 12, 2010

1* Susi compiled a useful list of 50 free icon sets for bloggers and web designers. Have a look around and choose what you like!

2* Thanks to your participation in the "My Blog is Carbon Neutral" initiative, Mach's Grün could already plant a small forest! However, they are still itching to plant more trees with the help of bloggers. See this previous post for more information on how to support their idea for free.

The Berlin Schook of Economics and Law funds six PhD scholarships for female graduates of Universities of Applied Sciences living in Berlin, starting 1 January 2011. More info on how to apply until 21 November 2010 here.

Sep 9, 2010

I stumbled across eco fashion blog Fr. Jona&son not too long ago and was immediately struck by its seemingly eclectic, yet organized character.

Follow the jump below to find out what difference its editor Sonja sees between her own and other style blogs, why she likes to name and shame, and why a good educational background helps - no matter what you are blogging about.

Sep 8, 2010

Besides editing her own blog, Nikola Richter is also one of two brains behind the Los Superdemokraticos project: An "intellectual fair trade" initiative between Germany and Latin America.

Today, they have launched an online association called Kooperativa that aims at bringing together writers, journalists, independent publishers, cultural magazines and projects, translators and other interested individuals.

Kooperativa is meant to provide a forum for the discussion on new forms of production and distribution of intellectual goods on the web. If you'd like to join the debate on original ideas, just introduce yourself and your Internet project on their site - the more, the merrier!

(The other founder of Los Superdemokraticos is writer Rery Maldonado. Both she and Nikola were introduced in a Tagesspiegel articlea couple of weeks back.)

Sep 4, 2010

Raffaela's blog Frauenzimmer is a charming celebration of female beauty.

Follow the jump below to find out which target group advertisers tend to forget about, who Raffaela's desired readers would be, and why editorial independence is more important to her than analyzing visitor statistics.

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